The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-06-09
THE "LAST BATTLE"
How the Brave Union Soldiers Went Over Fort
Blakely.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Seeing in q
recent issue an article entitled The Last
Fight" am prompted to write you a brief
sketch Of what believe was the last battle of
the war, and have never seen any history to
| the contrary.
On the same day that Grant secured the sur
render of Lee at Appomattox, and not far from
the classic spot where the last struggle in the
war of 1872 was so gloriously won by Gen.
Jackson, the last desperate struggle of the great
| rebellion of 1861 was as glOriOusly won by Gen.
Candy, the troops being under the immediate
command of Gen. X. Garrard, of Gen. A. j.
| Smiths Sixteenth Corps. The rebel forts OPP
pOsite Mobile had already surrendered; Will
sons great cavalry raid had destroyed and dis
persed what little had escaped Sherman, and
now the last forlOrn hope of the once great and
almost invincible rebel army had retired to a
small ratification several miles above Mobile,
known as Fort Blakely. Here the gallant Dab
| ney III. Maury and his little band of valiant
"SOuthrons" still babe a last defiance to
Uncle Sam" After siege Of several days by
Gen. Garrard, It was decided to terminate the
whole business by charge on the 9th Of April.
During the siege of Fort Blakely our divis-
ion had been encamped in the woods between
Forts Spanish and Blakely. On the day named,
| our Captain went on a accommodating tour to
Gen. Garrards headquarters. and while there
importuned the General for permission to bring
his battery-the Sd Indiana-to participate in
the finale. While accommodating, the Captain
got full of "commissary," and the moment he
had Gen. Garrard's consent he put spurs to his
horse, and never let up till in sight of our
camp, when, tip-toeing in his stirrups, he yelled
| at the top of his voice, Hitch up!" The or
der was obeyed with unusual promptness, and
| in 10 minutes the Captain was OFT again, pell-
nell, to the northward, through the pine
woods, followed by the battery at a full gallop,
nor slackened speed until in sight of the frown-
| ing battlements of Fort Blakely, when the
Captain ordered us into an open space directly
in front of the enemy's works, and we opened
fire, while he galloped away to the front and
| did not return.
We had only fired a round or two when we
discovered that we were in very hot place,
| and an officer of Gen. Garrard's staff gall0ped
up and excitedly demanded by what authority
we were making such q racket We referred
him to our brave Captain, but he ordered US to
Timber up" and get out on "dOuble-quick,'
adding that "no man had dared show his head
on that piece OF ground for week" We gladly
| obeyed, and were just off the spot when the
| order for a charge was heard, followed by the
usual yell of the Western boys, and in less time
than i write this our boys were in the rebel
works.
When the boys raised the yell, the whole
rebel line discharged volley of shells, musket.
balls, grape, canister, etc., at them, and it wa:
now so dark that the rebel works looked like Q
solid wall of fire, presenting for the time one
of those awfully-grand scenes not often wit
messed on the field of battle.
When the firing finally stopped the darkness
was so intense that most of the force under
Maury escaped unseen to the river, and board
ed gunboat which pulled safely Off under
cover of night.
have never yet seen a man who claimed
witnessing battle later than this one of Apri
o, 1866, at s o'clock p. m.-F. NJ. RIDDLE, 81
Ind. battery, Blue Rapids, Kan.